Princess Alice? British punters place bets on royal baby name

LONDON (Reuters) - Princess Alice maybe? Or how about Prince James? British punters are rushing to place wagers on the royal baby's name, gender, weight and precise birth date in the countdown to the arrival of the second child of Prince William and his wife Kate.

With the baby expected in late April - no due date has been given - bookmakers say thousands of wagers have been placed on virtually everything connected to the baby who will be fourth in line to the British throne.

Bookmaker William Hill said the bulk of bets were for a girl.

"I don't genuinely believe that they know themselves but I think everyone expects them to be the perfect family," said Rupert Adams, spokesman for William Hill.

"We've had two bets of 500 pounds both on the name being Alice and this is massive, massive bets for us. The average bet on this type of market is about three to five pounds so a bet of this size is unheard of."

The odds on the baby being called Alice are now 6/4, followed by Charlotte and Elizabeth at 11/2, according to William Hill on Friday. Diana, after Prince William's late mother, is at 16/1.

If it is a boy, James leads at 8/1. Other popular names include Arthur and Alexander.

Kate gave birth to her first child, Prince George Alexander Louis, in July 2013 at London's St Mary's hospital to a worldwide media fanfare. She is expected to have the second child there too.

Royal enthusiasts have already begun camping outside the hospital, setting up Union Jack flags, blue and pink balloons and banners reading "It's a Princess" and "It's a Prince".
Continued...